Feeling the sting at the pump lately? You can alleviate some of this misery by making sure your car is properly tuned. Your car should receive a professional tune-up every two years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first, in order to run at its maximum fuel efficiency. But there are a number of things you could do in between those tune-ups to make sure you’re squeezing the most efficiency out of your gas dollars. Here’s how to give your car a gas-saving tune-up:
Change It: Change your car’s oil and oil filters regularly to improve fuel economy and keep things running smoothly. Most mechanics recommend that you do this every 3 months or 3,000 miles. If you do it yourself, be sure to recycle the oil properly and fill up your engine with clean recycled motor oil. Plug your zip code into the Earth 911 website to find a used motor oil drop-off location near you. If you take it in to a service station, make sure that they will do the same.
Loosen It: If your fan belt is too tight, your engine is working too hard and wasting gas. The belt should give a little to finger pressure when the engine is not running (make sure everything has had a chance to cool down.) If the belt is too tight, you can easily adjust the tension with a wrench, or mention it during your next professional tune-up.
Check It: Old, worn-out spark plugs can cost you as much as 2 mpg in fuel efficiency. If you know how to change them, do it. If not, take your car in for service.
Pump It: Keep tires properly inflated to reduce wear and tear on the tread and save fuel over the long run. Check your owner’s manual for the recommended inflation level (this number is also usually printed inside the door frame of your car). Under-inflated tires can cost you as much as 1 mpg.
Replace It: A clogged air filter will keep your engine from running smoothly, costing you roughly 1 mpg in fuel efficiency. Check your air filter regularly and replace it every time you change your oil.
Record It:
Need more gas-saving tips? Check out the links below:
